NFL, Yahoo Partner to Live-Stream October Game

An Oct. 25 game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars is set to be exclusively streamed on the Internet company's platforms.

The NFL is testing the waters with live-streaming in a new one-game experiment with Yahoo.

An Oct. 25 game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars is set to be exclusively streamed for free on the Internet company's platforms, the league said on Wednesday. The game will also be televised in local U.S. markets.

“The NFL has always been committed to being at the forefront of media innovation. Through this partnership with Yahoo — one of the world’s most recognizable digital brands — we are taking another important step in that direction as we continue to closely monitor the rapidly evolving digital media landscape,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement.

"Our partnership provides the ultimate football experience — with digital availability designed for the modern fan,” said Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer.

The game that Yahoo will stream live is a part of the international series, which will be played in London at the unusually early time of 9:30 a.m. ET.

Even so, the deal with the NFL is a coup for Yahoo's burgeoning live-video business, which has a flagship deal with Live Nation to broadcast a live concert every day for an entire year. Yahoo, which has placed a premium on video under Mayer and CMO Kathy Savitt, bid against at least one other tech company for the rights to stream the game, according to Re/Code, and is believed to have paid $20 million for the rights in exchange for exclusive ad rights.